Somewhere With You
by sailor's delight
Summary: B/A. A collection of stories after Chosen and Not Fade Away. Please read Author's Note at beginning.
1. Author's Note

**A/N:**

Okay guys, here's the deal –

I've decided to put a hiatus on my story "Angels & Demons" until further notice for a few reasons. One being that I'm really wrestling with the idea of this story in the first place. I love the idea of it; Buffy comes to LA to live and work with Angel, but I'm really not satisfied with the way it's turning out. I find that each chapter is just exactly what happened in canon, with Buffy in a few scenes here and there. I think that my writing preference and skills lay elsewhere. My personal favorite stories of mine are my one-shots or AU future stories. Further proof that I'm better at the whole AU thing: my favorite parts of "Angels & Demons" are the first two chapters, which is not based off of an _Angel _season 5 episode. I just don't feel confident enough to tackle the massive story arc that is _Angel _season 5. I would rather just stop now than finish it with poor quality material.

With that being said, I want to thank all of the readers that have stuck with "Angels & Demons" and given me positive reviews. I hate to stop this story, but I would hate even more for it to go on with content I am not pleased with.

Instead, I've had some ideas for short stories that could be strung together for a nice post "Chosen"/"Not Fade Away" AU. I feel that I am a much better writer doing these types of things. I'll explain the AU here so it won't take up time and space in future stories.

After the events in _Chosen_, Buffy and the rest of the Sunnydale crew began traveling the world to collect the newly made slayers everywhere. If the girls wanted, they could be sent to the training facility in England where Giles was stationed. Dawn was attending school there as well. Things continued smoothly for a few months, until Willow got word of what Angel did in Los Angeles with the Circle of the Black Thorn. Los Angeles was in ruins, so Buffy rounded up the most experienced slayers and went to Los Angeles with Faith and Willow to help Angel out. The battle had been going on for a few days by the time Buffy reached Los Angeles, Angel's small crew had been separated. With the extra muscle, Buffy and Angel's groups were able to beat back the Circle of the Black Thorn's army. Angel, Spike, and Illyria survived, badly beaten. Gunn was found later, barely alive. After a few weeks of rest, healing, and planning, Buffy and Faith decided to start traveling again to find slayers, this time with Angel and Spike as companions. As a reward for taking down one of the greatest demon armies of all time, the Powers That Be removed the true happiness loophole from Angel's curse.

This is a collection of snapshots from their time together.

(The title "Somewhere With You" comes from the Kenny Chesney song of the same name).


	2. Barcelona

**Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _and/or _Angel _belongs to the creators of the show and not me. I'm using the characters/ideas for fun and not for profit. The title _"Somewhere With You" _was inspired by the Kenny Chesney song. Lyrics belong to Taylor Swift.

* * *

**

"_**Get me with those green eyes baby as the lights go down**_

_**Give me something that'll haunt me when you're not around."**_

**-Taylor Swift**

**Barcelona, Spain**

If someone told Angel when he had been in charge of Wolfram & Hart that less than a year from now he would be standing in a crowded, loud, hot club in Spain he would have never believed them. He would start to question their sanity if they told him he was at the bar of said club standing next to Spike while Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane were lost somewhere on the dance floor. After finding the slayer they had been looking for in Barcelona and making sure she was on her way to the Slayer Academy in England, they were looking to blow off some steam before leaving Spain the following evening.

So Angel found himself at this club. Within a half hour of the four arriving, Faith had dragged Buffy away from the bar and onto the dance floor. They had remained there for the past four or five songs, the last of which Angel had been watching his pseudo-girlfriend with interest. He was hesitant to say they were dating. Because really they weren't. They didn't go on dates, or kiss in public, or celebrate anniversaries. But as Angel raked his eyes over Buffy's tight one shouldered dress that showed off her tan skin and killer legs, he thought about how they spent almost every night in each other's rooms, exploring every inch of skin on each other, rediscovering each other in a way they never thought would be possible again. They didn't need labels. Angel knew that he was hers and she was his. That's all they needed.

Angel turned back to the bar to get his drink and noticed Spike looking over Faith. They had hooked up a few times and although they never talked about it, Angel could tell there was something more between them. Angel was taking a sip from his drink when Spike leaned on the bar and said to him, "Don't tell me you're not thinking it."

Angel looked at him confused. "What?"

Spike nodded in the direction of Buffy and Faith. "Those two. The four of us. Remind you of anything?"

Angel glared at Spike and said flatly, "No."

"Oh come on," Spike insisted. "It's the 21st century version of Darla and Dr-"

"No," Angel said cutting him off. "No, no, it's not."

"Just an observation, mate," Spike said before taking a drink.

Angel looked over his shoulder and into the crowd at Buffy and Faith and thought about what Spike said. He felt his stomach twist into a knot as the similarities stared him right in the face. The blonde and brunette sisters, for a lack of a better term. The traveling. The partying. The sex. The only thing that was missing was all the murdering.

"You know, they say history repeats itself," Spike added nonchalantly.

Angel stifled a growl from creeping up in his throat and with one last glare at Spike he began to work his way through the crowded dance floor. He found Buffy with her back to him, her head thrown back in laughter at something Faith said. He snaked his arms around her middle and started trailing kisses down the side of her neck, smiling when she jumped a little.

"Let's get out of here," he murmured against her soft skin.

Buffy grabbed one of his hands, nodded and said, "Okay" in a slightly slurred voice. She leaned over to Faith and told her over the loud music of the club that they were leaving. Faith smirked and nodded before heading to the bar to find Spike.

Moments later Angel sat in the cab taking them through the night streets of Barcelona to their hotel while Buffy was practically on top of him, slipping her hands down his shirt and caressing the cool skin she found there. As Angel captured Buffy's lips with his in a hungry kiss, he knew this definitely wasn't the 18th century. No matter what Spike may think.


	3. Marseilles

**Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _and/or _Angel _belongs to the creators of the show and not me. I'm using the characters/ideas for fun and not for profit. The title "Somewhere With You" was inspired by the Kenny Chesney song. Lyrics belong to Jason Mraz.**

* * *

"_**Hell, no reason go on and scream**_

_**If you're shocked it's just the fault of faulty manufacturing."**_

**-Jason Mraz**

**Marseilles, France**

"B, phone's for you!" Faith called from the sitting room into one of the bedrooms of the French hotel suite.

Buffy, who had been folding some clothes in her room, poked her head out and asked, "Who is it?"

"I don't know, some guy," Faith said, before handing the phone to Buffy and going into the kitchen. Buffy rolled her eyes as she heard the refrigerator door open and Faith start rummaging around for some food.

"Hello?" Buffy said into the phone.

"Buffy?" came an older man's voice from the other end.

Buffy froze as she heard the voice. It had been a while since she heard it, but she would recognize it anywhere.

"Dad?" she asked tentatively.

Hank Summers gave a small chuckle that sounded far away due to the long distance connection. "Yeah it's me. I have some good news."

* * *

From the kitchen, Faith peered through the doorway to watch Buffy who was now sitting in a chair by the small table the phone was on. "Poppa Summers, huh?" Faith said quietly to Angel and Spike who were sitting at the kitchen table.

"Wonder what finally made him come calling," Spike said.

"Something big," Angel said. "We're not the easiest people to get a hold of."

After a few minutes of hushed conversation, Buffy hung up the phone and walked into the kitchen, deep in thought.

"What's up?" Faith asked. The curiosity was killing her.

Buffy was silent for a moment before saying, "He's getting married." The others stared at her in silence. Buffy gave a soft chuckle and said, "In two weeks."

Faith stared at Buffy for a moment before elbowing Spike and motioning for them to leave. After they left the kitchen Buffy sat down at the small table across from Angel.

"I thought I would be more upset," Buffy said after a beat. "But I don't feel anything."

Angel hesitated before asking, "Are you gonna go?"

Buffy chuckled again and said, "That's the real kicker. Leslie wants Dawn and me to be bridesmaids."

Angel raised his eyebrows in surprise and Buffy continued. "She doesn't have any sisters, and it's really short notice, so…guess I can't not go, right?"

"Where is it?" Angel asked.

"His house in Napa Valley. He's even gonna pay for the plane ticket there and back," Buffy said. "God, he even talked to Giles when he called Dawn to see if I could get the time off work. As for as he knows I'm just a recruiter for some fancy school in England."

The two sat in silence for another moment before Buffy sighed and said, "So I guess it's decided then." Buffy then looked at Angel, a pleading look in her eyes as she chewed her bottom lip nervously.

"What?" Angel asked cautiously.

"Will you come with me?" Buffy asked.

Angel sighed and said, "Buffy…"

"Please Angel?" Buffy pleaded. "I can't make it through this alone, I'll go crazy."

"Dawn will be there," Angel said.

"She and my dad have always gotten along much better than I have with him. Please?" she begged again. "The wedding's at night and we can stay at hotel so you won't have to give a bad excuse in the morning when he wants to take you on a tour of the vineyard."

"He has a vineyard?" Angel asked.

"And horses," Buffy added. "It's Napa Valley thing. And a little bit of a mid-life crisis thing."

Angel sighed and thought for a moment before saying, "When do we leave?"


	4. Napa Valley

**Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _and/or _Angel _belongs to the creators of the show and not me. I'm using the characters/ideas for fun and not for profit. The title _"Somewhere With You" _was inspired by the Kenny Chesney song. Lyrics belong to Kenny Chesney.**

* * *

"_**You said pick me up at three AM, you're fighting with your mom again**_

_**And I'd go, I'd go, I'd go somewhere with you…**_

_**Like we did on the beach last summer when the rain came down and we took cover**_

_**Down in your car, out by the pier, you laid me down, whispered in my ear**_

_**I hate my life, hold on to me, if you ever decide to leave then I'll go, I'll go I'll go."**_

**-Kenny Chesney**

**Napa Valley, California**

Two weeks later Buffy looked out at the dark rolling hills of California wine country as Angel drove their rental car down the long driveway to her father's house for the rehearsal dinner. Buffy had to admit, after traveling Europe for the past few months it felt good to be back in California. Angel parked in the long row of cars that lined the driveway and Buffy took a deep breath before getting out of the car and smoothing out her dark purple wrap-style dress.

"You look great," Angel said as he held out his arms for her to loop hers through. "Let's go."

Almost immediately after entering the house Buffy heard a loud shriek that sounded something like her name right before being engulfed by a skinny brunette.

"Hey Dawn," Buffy said, hugging her younger sister back fiercely.

"You look great!" Dawn said, pulling away. She then looked at Angel and shrieked his name as well before hugging him. Dawn then pulled Buffy down the entrance hallway and into the large kitchen that opened up into the even larger living room.

"Dad!" Dawn called to a man in the kitchen who has his back turned to them. Hank Summers turned around and gave his eldest daughter a huge grin before coming over to hug her.

He pulled back to look at her face and said, "Buffy, it's so good to see you. I'm so glad you could make it."

Buffy smiled at him and said, "It's good to see you too, Dad." She was surprised that part of her actually meant it too.

Hank glanced at Angel and Buffy said, "Oh! Dad, this is my…" Buffy hesitated for a moment. They could be there all night if she tried to explain what Angel was to her. Ex-boyfriend, ally, co-worker, vampire, lover…the list could go on. "This is my friend Angel," Buffy finally said.

Hank extended his arm and shook hands with Angel and said, "Angel, nice to meet you. How do you two know each other?"

"Um, we-" Angel started to say, but Buffy cut him off.

"We work together," Buffy said quickly.

"At that fancy new school, right?" Hank asked.

"Well yeah," Buffy said. "I mean we've been traveling for a while now, recruiting new students. It's been really interesting, busy though."

"And how much longer are you going to be traveling?" Hank asked, looking from Buffy to Angel.

"Probably a few more months, depends," Angel said. "We take things case by case."

"So, no plans on settling down in the near future then, Buffy?" Hank asked.

Buffy and Angel stared blankly at Hank for a moment before Buffy said, "Um, no."

After an awkward moment Dawn cut in and said, "Let's introduce them to Leslie."

"Of course," Hank said as a server passed by with a tray of wine glasses. "Wine?" he offered them.

"Yes," Buffy and Angel said simultaneously.

The rest of the rehearsal dinner went over smoothly, aside from the initial awkwardness at the beginning of the night. Buffy met her future stepmother (although she told herself that she would never refer to Leslie as that) and found her to be actually quite pleasant, even if she was thirty-five. Buffy was just glad that the bridesmaids dresses had no resemblance to the one Anya forced her to wear.

* * *

Buffy knocked gently on the door to her father's bedroom and peeked her head in. "You ready? It's almost time," she said.

Hank was standing in front of the full length mirror smoothing out his tux. Buffy couldn't help but notice that he looked a little nervous.

"How do I look?" he asked, turning to face Buffy.

Buffy gave him a small smile and walked over to adjust his bow-tie. "Very handsome," she told him.

Hank took a deep breath and said, "I'm so glad you and Dawn could make it. I don't think I would have gone through with it if my girls weren't here."

Buffy stared at him for a moment and said, "Really?"

Hank sighed and said, "Look Buffy, I know I've made mistakes." Buffy shot him a look and he said, "Okay, that's an understatement. I know I'm not father of the year, and I'll regret that for the rest of my life." Buffy was silent, so he continued. "Leslie loves family. She doesn't have much of one, so she really wants to get to know mine. I want to be a better father to you and Dawn."

"Dad," Buffy said quietly. "I've been let down too many times…"

"I know, and I hate that," Hank said. "I promise you, it's going to be different from now on."

Buffy regarded him carefully before nodding. "I hope that Angel isn't one of the people letting you down," Hank continued.

It was probably better that he didn't know about her and Angel's past. "Dad, he's just a friend," Buffy said.

"Please, I saw the way he was looking at you. I was about five minutes away from giving him the obligatory 'what are your intentions with my daughter' talk," Hank said.

Buffy laughed and said, "Come on, let's get you married."

* * *

Buffy felt very odd walking down an aisle surrounded by her family and friends to where a priest was waiting at the end. Sure she wasn't the one getting married, and she was on the arm of her dad's best man, but that didn't help the weird factor. The wedding was underneath a large open air tent on her dad's property, with dozens of white lights twinkling in the night. She reached the end of the aisle where Dawn was waiting in the same chocolate brown silk dress that Buffy was wearing and turned to face the guests.

Buffy looked out at the crowd and caught Angel looking at her with a crooked smile on his face. Her mind drifted back to the conversation she had moments earlier with her dad. Maybe it was just because it was on her mind, but the way he was looking at her…no, it was crazy. They had talked about it months ago; they didn't work as a couple. Sure they hooked up enough in the past few months, which has brought back up old feelings, but it was just easier to remain friends with benefits. With a jolt to her stomach Buffy realized how ridiculous that sounded. Hadn't she seen enough chick flicks in her life to know that a friend with benefits never works?

Buffy shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned her attention to her dad's wedding ceremony. She did everything she was supposed to as a bridesmaid; holding Leslie's bouquet, handing her the ring, and making sure her train didn't get in the way as she walked down the aisle as the new Mrs. Hank Summers.

* * *

Hours later the chairs under the large tent were moved aside and the reception had started. Buffy stood off to the side of the dance floor sipping on a glass of champagne as Hank lead Leslie onto the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife.

"They make a good couple," Angel noted casually. He had been quietly standing next to Buffy for a few moments and she was surprised she didn't notice him earlier.

She glanced at him and then looked back at Hank and Leslie. "Yeah, you're right."

"Does that mean you're happy?" Angel asked her.

Buffy thought for a moment before saying, "Yeah, it does." She then looked at Angel and said, "I'm trying this new thing where I don't hold a grudge against him because of the past nine years of my life."

Angel smiled at her and watched her as she clapped along with the other guests as Hank and Leslie finished their first dance and other couples made their way onto the dance floor. Angel turned to Buffy and asked with a nod towards the dance floor "Do you want to dance?"

Buffy looked at him with a raised eyebrow and asked, "Really?"

"Don't make me second guess it," Angel said with a smirk.

Buffy put her glass down on a nearby table and said, "Lead the way," as she looped her arm through Angel's.

As Buffy placed her hand on Angel's shoulder and felt him wrap one strong arm around her waist, she couldn't stop the flashbacks to her high school prom. In the past dancing with Angel had always brought up bad memories. This time, she had no feeling of dread in her stomach as Angel held her close and she rested her head on his chest. It was nice to wash away the old memories with this new one.

Buffy saw her dad out of the corner of her eye on the dance floor as well, twirling Dawn around as Leslie watched them and laughed. Hank looked at Buffy dancing with Angel and gave her a knowing smile. Buffy smiled back at him and thought back to their earlier conversation. She smirked to herself at the thought of the future with Angel. There was going to be pain and hurt, but there will also be love, she was sure of it.


	5. Stockholm

******Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _and/or _Angel _belongs to the creators of the show and not me. I'm using the characters/ideas for fun and not for profit. The title _"Somewhere With You" _was inspired by the Kenny Chesney song. Lyrics belong to The Band Perry.**

* * *

"_**The ballad of a dove, go with peace and love,**_

_**Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket**_

_**Save them for a time when you're really gonna need them**_

_**The sharp knife of a short life, well I've had just enough time.**_

_**So put on your best boys,**_

_**And I'll wear my pearls."**_

**-The Band Perry**

**Stockholm, Sweden**

_It was cold and dark. The kind of dark where you can't tell if your eyes are opened or closed; weather you're upside down or right side up. It's damp and smells kind of musty. You can feel the earth pressing down on you, the sides closing in. You move your arms and hit a wall. You reach up and hit another wall. You've been here before and you know you're not getting out. You scream, knowing no one can hear you._

Buffy sat up out of bed with a strangled gasp. She breathed deeply to calm herself and pushed her hair back out of her face. Buffy sighed; this was the third time this past month she'd had the dream. It seemed like ages ago that she was resurrected from the dead, and should be used to the dreams by now. But then again some things in life you never got used to.

Buffy looked at the clock on the nightstand table and noticed it was 9:30 in the morning. Buffy turned and looked at the sleeping vampire in bed next to her. Angel was lying on his stomach, completely undeterred by Buffy's nightmare. She figured she would get up and start her day. She probably would have gotten up earlier but the thick curtains were pulled tight over the windows, blocking out any morning light.

Buffy sighed and pulled the heavy covers back, getting out of the large bed. As soon as she placed her feet on the wooden floor and stood up she felt a chill shoot through her. Buffy rubbed her arms with her hands, attempting to warm herself up. God, she hated Sweden.

Buffy left her and Angel's bedroom door quietly, tiptoeing across the cold wood floor and into the kitchen to make some coffee. She had slipped into a pair of worn blue jeans and was pulling on a heavy cream colored sweater as she walked into the kitchen. She was surprised to see Faith sitting at the kitchen table eating a large bowl of cereal.

"You're up early," Buffy said as she walked over to the coffee pot.

"Mmm," Faith said, swallowing a bite of Frosted Flakes. "Got up a minute ago," Faith added with a pointed look at Buffy. When Buffy didn't respond Faith said, "Not much else to do with the boys sleeping like the dead."

"They are dead," Buffy added absent-mindedly as she fiddled with the coffee pot. She was used to these early mornings with Faith. Angel and Spike often slept until mid afternoon, being vampires and all. Buffy shivered again involuntarily as she walked over to the refrigerator to rummage for something that could pass as breakfast. "I really hate Sweden," she remarked.

"Natalie's flight to England is tomorrow morning. We should be able to leave after that," Faith said before taking another bite of cereal.

"Thank god," Buffy said, still peering into the fridge.

The two slayers sat in the tiny kitchen in silence for a few moments, the only sound coming from the gurgling of the coffee pot. Faith finally broke the silence by dropping her spoon on the kitchen table loudly.

"Okay, if you're not going to bring it up then I guess I will," Faith said.

Buffy glanced at her as she poured some coffee into a mug. "Bring what up?" she asked.

Faith gave her a look and said, "The reason I woke up so damn early?" When Buffy didn't say anything Faith continued. "Your dream. The one you've been having the past month. And the month before that. And the one before that."

Buffy sighed and said, "Shit, you were asleep for that?"

"Well not for long," Faith said. "God B, that dream is friggin creepy"

Buffy said, "Yeah, well there's not much I can do about it, I can't exactly control my dreams."

"That's not the problem and you know it," Faith said to her. Buffy was silent. "Slayers share dreams. You and I know that better than anyone. But you're not just sharing them with me anymore, it's with everyone. Dozens and dozens of girls, some that are like fifteen years old!"

"I know!" Buffy said, raising her voice slightly. "I know…" she repeated slightly quieter as she sat down across from Faith at the table.

"Look, I know it's not your fault, but Giles warned us about this. He said if there was anything traumatic in our past like this that might pop up in our dreams to tell him about it so he could prepare the other girls for it," Faith said.

After a moment Buffy said, "Fine, I'll talk to him about it." Faith seemed satisfied with that answer and nodded, turning back to her bowl of cereal. "God, this was not something I thought we would have to deal with when we did that spell," Buffy said.

"Yeah, well magic always has consequences, right?" Faith said through a mouthful of cereal. "Great, now I sound like Giles…" she added with a shudder.

"While we're on the topic of dreams, could you try and keep yours about Spike to a minimum? Don't need to scare the slayers even more," Buffy said to Faith.

"S'not like you've never been there, B," Faith said with a smirk.

"Faith!" Buffy exclaimed.

Faith chuckled and said, "Fine, but only if you keep yours about Angel in check. I shouldn't be enjoying someone else's sex life more than mine."

_"Faith!"_ Buffy said more forcefully, slightly blushing. She them thought for a moment and added in a lower voice, "It is hot isn't it?"

Faith just nodded slowly and the two slayers laughed. 


	6. Galway

******Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _and/or _Angel _belongs to the creators of the show and not me. I'm using the characters/ideas for fun and not for profit. The title _"Somewhere With You" _was inspired by the Kenny Chesney song. Lyrics belong to Steve Earle.**

* * *

"_**And I ask you friend what's a fella to do**_

'_**Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue.**_

_**So I took her hand and I gave her a twirl,**_

_**And I lost my heart to a Galway Girl."**_

**-Steve Earle**

**Galway, Ireland**

Angel hadn't spoken since they got off the plane. He had remained silent in fact since about an hour before they landed in Ireland, which was around the same time he asked the flight attendant for a large glass of Jameson. Buffy looked over in concern at Angel. His head was laid back against the headrest and his eyes were open, his face unreadable. Buffy sighed. Angel shouldn't have to go through this, Buffy thought. She could have easily done it with just Faith. They had been in Stockholm when Giles called about their next location...

"Don't you usually just e-mail us the flight info and the girl's name?" Buffy asked Giles. "It's a whole lot cheaper than this long distance call, you know."

"I know, but I felt I should call," Giles said. "Colleen Kennedy, the slayer we've located, lives in Ireland."

"Oh," Buffy said, a little surprised.

"Galway, to be exact," Giles continued.

"Oh," Buffy said again, understanding now.

Personally, Buffy had always wanted to see Ireland; to see where Angel – or rather Liam Gallagher – came from. She told Angel that she and Faith could do this one solo, but he had insisted on coming. Everyone's got to face their demons someday, right?

It was dark when the plane landed so it was impossible to see the lush rolling green hills that Buffy had heard so much about. She peered out the window of the taxi that was taking them to their hotel at the quaint villages they passed through, enjoying the bumpy ride due to cobblestone streets. She was itching to do some exploring and would have to drag Faith along with her tomorrow after they had all gotten some rest. She turned to Angel who was looking out his own window and asked, "Has it changed much?"

He was silent for a moment before quietly saying, "You have no idea." He never took his eyes off the window. Buffy wondered if any of the pubs they passed were ones that Liam had frequented.

As soon as they got to the hotel, Angel went straight into his and Buffy's room, leaving her with Faith and Spike in the hallway.

Spike raised an eyebrow at the door Angel just disappeared into and said to Buffy, "Good luck with that one, love."

Buffy sighed and said, "Let's just get this over with. Faith, meet downstairs at 10? We can get breakfast and then find this girl. Hopefully it won't take too long." The time they spent at each location varied from slayer to slayer. Some were all too happy to leave home and answer their calling, while others took days to decide. One slayer in Morocco had taken weeks to decide if she wanted to be trained as a slayer, forcing Buffy, Faith, Angel, and Spike to stay there much longer than anticipated. They never knew how long they were going to stay in any one place.

"Sounds good," Faith said, following Spike into their room. "Night B."

"Goodnight," Buffy said softly before going into her own room.

Angel was already in bed, his back to Buffy. As Buffy slipped into bed next to him after changing, she could tell that he wasn't asleep yet, but didn't say anything. She knew by now when to give him space.

* * *

The next morning Buffy and Faith had a nice Irish breakfast at the hotel and then set out to find Colleen Kennedy. They found her home with relative ease since it was on the outskirts of town. Colleen was a bubbly young girl with thick strawberry blonde hair and bright green eyes. She had big dreams that did not include living on her parent's dairy farm for the rest of her life. Buffy was glad to see how accepting her family was of everything. Apparently they had known something was up with Colleen when starting a few months ago she could suddenly lift hay bales that even her older brothers couldn't lift. She would need a few days to pack and say her goodbyes, but she was eager to start her training and her parents were proud.

By the time Buffy and Faith returned to the hotel it was dark and Buffy was exhausted. She and Faith had spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the town. They went into quaint bookstores and coffee shops and did some shopping at boutiques. It was damp, but Buffy loved it nonetheless.

Buffy laid down on the bed in her hotel room and turned on the TV to relax. Spike and Angel had gone out and weren't back yet. Buffy was just starting to doze off when she heard the door open and Angel came in. He set a brown paper bag down on a small table by the mini bar, apparently having just returned from the butcher shop with Spike.

"Hey," he said to her. "How'd it go?"

"Fine," Buffy said. As Angel walked over to the bed and laid down next to her she could see a dramatic difference in him from last night. Like there was a weight off his shoulders. "Colleen seems great. We're going back in a few days to pick her up and bring her to the airport."

"Good," Angel said, watching whatever TV program Buffy had settled on.

"You seem better," Buffy said after a few moments.

"Yeah," Angel said to her. "I guess I just needed a day." Buffy nodded and silence descended upon them for a minute or two.

"What are you doing tonight?" Angel finally asked.

Buffy shrugged and said, "I don't have anything planned."

"Good," Angel said before getting up and going to pour himself some dinner. "I want to show you around."

Buffy smiled at him and said, "Okay."

* * *

Angel led her to a plaza surrounded by old buildings that now were home to modern stores. They stood in the center of the plaza, hand in hand as Angel pointed out things and Buffy listened. It was nearly midnight so the streets were virtually silent.

"This was my area of town," Angel said. He spoke softly, the way one would speak in a church. "My family's home wasn't too far from here. We had a ton of land. I bet it's all developed now. Probably impossible to find." Buffy was silent and let him continue. Angel looked around the plaza some more and pointed to one of the stores and gave a soft chuckle of laughter. "That CVS used to be a leather shop, if you can believe it. We always got our shoes there." He looked around the plaza and said, "Half these stores used to be pubs."

Buffy gave his hand a squeeze. Angel focused his attention on something in the distance, his face showing disbelief. "I don't believe it," he muttered. Angel pulled Buffy towards the direction he was looking and down a side street.

The narrow street opened up into a small courtyard where a quaint stone church stood in front of them. The stained glass on the outside looked aged, but still flickered brilliant colors from the candles inside.

Angel stared at the church in front of him in awe. Buffy watched him carefully. His face was illuminated by the soft glow emanating from inside the building.

"This was the church my family went to," Angel said finally. "I can't believe it's still here."

Buffy gazed at the church and tried to imagine a young Liam coming here each Sunday with his family. She squeezed his hand again in reassurance and said, "It's beautiful."

Angel hesitantly took a step forward and then another step. Buffy was a few steps behind him as he walked up the stone steps and into the church. Once inside, Angel stopped about a third of the way down the aisle and just stared at the altar in front of him.

Buffy stayed by the door and watched Angel. He seemed unsure about walking further down the aisle, like he wondered if he was even allowed anymore. Buffy realized she was unconsciously holding her breath as she looked around the interior of the church. She was sure it was just as beautiful centuries ago as it was now. She noticed Angel was looking intently at the large stone Celtic cross that was behind the altar. It was a striking and ancient focal point of the church.

Angel seemed to stand perfectly still for the longest time. Then without warning he turned around and exited the church. Buffy turned and left a moment later to find him standing in the darkened street, deep in thought. Buffy pulled her pea coat tighter around her and placed her hand gently on his bicep.

"Let's go back to the hotel," she whispered. Angel just nodded and she took his hand as they walked away from the church.

Hours later, Buffy stirred awake in the middle of the night and could vaguely make out Angel sitting up in bed, his sketchpad propped up on his knees. Wanting to respect his privacy, Buffy closed her eyes, the soft sounds of charcoal against paper lulling her into sleep.

* * *

The next day Buffy and Faith walked around the town some more, doing more of the tourist attractions and tours. When they got back to the hotel, Buffy immediately curled up in bed, exhausted. She must have dozed off because hours later she was awoken by Angel pushing her hair out of her face and giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Mmm, what time is it?" she asked groggily.

"Almost eleven," Angel told her.

"Come to bed," Buffy said, sleepily trying to pull him down beside her.

Angel chuckled and said, "I'm getting something and I want you to come with me."

"Where would we be going at this hour?" Buffy asked.

Angel smirked and said, "I know a guy."

* * *

Buffy once again walked down the dark streets of Galway letting Angel lead her into what she guessed was the seedier part of town. He stopped in front of one hole-in-the-wall shop and went inside. Buffy looked with confusion at the flickering neon sign that read "TATTOOS" before following Angel inside.

"Angel, what are we doing here?" Buffy asked him once inside the shop.

Angel was at the counter talking to a grungy looking middle aged man. Buffy briefly wondered if he was human. Angel took something out of his pocket and placed it on the counter. Buffy noticed it was the drawing Angel was working on last night. Buffy walked over as Angel unfolded it. It was a beautiful drawing of the Celtic cross they had seen in the church from Angel's childhood last night.

"I want this," Angel told the man.

The tattoo artist nodded and said gruffly, "Give me five minutes." He grabbed the drawing and disappeared into a back room.

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked Angel.

Angel sighed and said, "I've been thinking about this for a while. Now seemed like the right time." Buffy was silent and let him continue. "This place is who I am, Buffy. I've tried ignoring it for so long, but coming back here made me realize I don't want to ignore it anymore. I want to honor it."

Buffy stared at him in silence. "Isn't it kind of ironic that you're getting a tattoo of a cross…you're a vampire," Buffy said, as if reminding him of that fact.

Angel shrugged and said, "I guess."

"Can you even get a cross tattoo?" Buffy asked. "Won't it burn?"

"It's just a drawing, it can't do any damage," Angel told her. "And it's not blessed by a priest. Trust me, this guy is no priest," Angel added with a nod towards the back door the tattoo artist went into.

A few hours later Angel was laying down in the reclined chair as the tattoo artist added the finishing touches to his work. Angel had decided to get the cross on his left side, on top of his rib cage. Buffy sat on his right, letting him grasp her hand, squeezing it when the pain increased. Buffy knew Angel was putting on a strong front but she could tell it hurt.

"All done," the tattoo artist said, wiping off the remaining ink and cleaning the area. Buffy peered around to Angel's side to get a glimpse. It looked perfect; exactly like the one in Angel's church.

"It looks great," Buffy said with a smile.

Angel smiled back at her and said, "Thank you for coming. It means a lot."

"Of course I'd come," Buffy told him.

* * *

Buffy laid curled up next to Angel in their bed back at the hotel. She traced her fingers over Angel's new tattoo. It was already healed and didn't need the bandages anymore; one of the perks of being a vampire.

"It's beautiful," Buffy whispered.

Angel pulled her closer to him and after a moment of silence said, "I really didn't want to come here."

"I know," Buffy said.

"The memories here used to be too painful. I used to try and forget," Angel said. "But coming back made me realize I shouldn't forget. It hurts to remember, but it hurts worse to forget. I'm so glad you got to see all this," Angel added, dropping a kiss to her forehead.

"Me too," Buffy said. She knew coming back here was difficult for him, but significant. Buffy was glad that Angel was able to add the new happy memories of this trip to the past ones of his homeland.


	7. New York City

**Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from **_**Buffy the Vampire Slayer **_**and/or **_**Angel **_**belongs to the creators of the show and not me. I'm using the characters/ideas for fun and not for profit. The title **_**"Somewhere With You" **_**was inspired by the Kenny Chesney song. Lyrics belong to U2.**

* * *

_**I've seen you walk unafraid, I've seen you in the clothes you made**_

_**Can you see the beauty inside of me?**_

_**What happened to the beauty inside of me?**_

_**And I miss you when you're not around**_

_**I'm getting ready to leave the ground**_

_**Oh, you look so beautiful tonight**_

_**In the city of blinding lights.**_

**-U2**

**New York City, New York**

Buffy stood frozen in front of the sculpture. She knew they were on a deadline, but seeing those four cast iron letters brought back a flood of memories that she had kept buried for so long.

"B, come on!" Faith called to her. Angel and Spike looked behind them at Buffy when they heard Faith and realized Buffy wasn't with them. They were on their way to meet with a slayer and her family. It was a nice night in the city so they all decided to walk there. "We're already late and we can't keep them waiting all night," Faith said, starting to get impatient.

Buffy snapped out of it and tore her eyes from the sculpture. It spelled out the word "love" in bright red. The L and O were stacked on top of the V and E, the O slightly tilted. With one last look Buffy followed after Faith, Angel, and Spike down 6th Avenue and towards their destination.

Angel hung back and walked beside Buffy. Her brow was furrowed as she remembered all the summers she spent in New York City with her dad, before the divorce. Images flashed in her mind; Yankees games, street vendors, Broadway shows, Times Square at night, taxis, and that one of a kind subway smell. Her dad was from New York City and his family still resided there. Hank always took Buffy to the City for a few weeks each summer, and Dawn too when she was old enough.

"What was that all about?" Angel asked Buffy quietly.

They walked in silence for a moment before Buffy said, "I used to come here a lot with my dad when I was little. That sculpture was my favorite spot." Buffy gave a dry chuckle and said, "I don't know, it's stupid."

"Hey, it's not stupid," Angel said gently to her. "That was an important part of your life with your dad."

Buffy laughed again, "My life with my dad…yeah. Right." Event though her relationship with Hank was better recently than it had been in the past, part of Buffy still resented him for being absent in her life for seven years, even after her mother had died.

"The past is important, Buffy. No matter how much it hurts," Angel said to her. Buffy then remembered that they had been in Galway, Ireland a few weeks ago where Angel had to face his own past.

"Just because it's important doesn't make it any better or change it," Buffy said. Angel could tell by her tone that even though she was still bitter, she got his point.

He sighed and laced his fingers through her own, rubbing his thumb across her hand in a soothing manner. He couldn't change her past, but maybe he could make it easier to bear, like she had done for him.

* * *

The next night Buffy and Faith were lounging in the former's hotel room with the TV on. Faith was lying on her stomach on the bed, her laptop open in front of her, aimlessly surfing the Internet. Buffy was next to her, leaving against the headboard TV remote in hand as she channel surfed.

Angel walked into the room and said to Buffy, "Hey, you busy?" Buffy and Faith both just gave him a look that screamed they were obviously not busy. "Right," Angel said. "You want to go for a walk?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow at him before saying, "Sure."

"Where'd you want to go?" Buffy asked as she put on a light coat and followed Angel down the hotel hallway.

"Just wanted to walk around, it's a nice night," Angel said with a smirk. He paused for a moment and allowed Buffy to catch up to him. He held out his hand for her to slide her own into his.

Buffy couldn't help but smile to herself. Ever since their trip to Galway it was like some of the weight that Angel always seemed to be carrying on his shoulders was lifted. He was more open to the idea of actually starting a relationship with Buffy again and little by little started showing minor public displays of affection with her.

Buffy found herself lost in her thoughts and enjoying all the sights and sounds of New York City at night that she didn't even notice where Angel was leading her. After he stopped walking she found herself at a familiar location on 6th Avenue. The LOVE sculpture.

Buffy looked at Angel in confusion. "What are we doing here?" she asked him.

"I have something for you," Angel said in his usual cryptic way. Buffy waited a moment and watched him reach into his coat pocket. He withdrew his hand and dangled a delicate silver chain from his fingers. Buffy reached forward and held the silver charm at the end of the chain. It was a perfect silver replica of the LOVE statue.

Buffy smiled at Angel as he leaned forward to place the necklace around her neck. "You didn't have to do this," Buffy said quietly as Angel's fingers brushed back her hair as he finished clasping the necklace.

Angel shrugged. "I could tell this place was important to you, I wanted to give you something to remember it by," he told her. "After everything in Ireland…" he went on, referencing their recent trip. "It's good to remember the past," he said. "The good parts at least."

"Thank you," Buffy said. She leaned forward tentatively, and Angel also leaned down, brushing his lips gently against hers. After a few moments Angel kissed her forehead and Buffy leaned her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around his middle. Angel ran his fingers through her hair and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I'm almost ready," Buffy said so quietly that Angel almost missed it. It took him a moment to realize that she was referring to her cookie analogy.

Angel smiled and kissed the top of her head again. "You know I'll be right here when you are."

Buffy smiled to herself. More than ever she was glad that Angel would be the one to be with her when she was finally all baked. She had a feeling it wouldn't be too much longer now.

* * *

Please review! I have an idea about how this is going to end, and I think it will only be 1 or 2 more chapters.


	8. Cleveland

**Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from **_**Buffy the Vampire Slayer **_**and/or **_**Angel **_**belongs to the creators of the show and not me. I'm using the characters/ideas for fun and not for profit. The title **_**"Somewhere With You" **_**was inspired by the Kenny Chesney song. Lyrics belong to No Angels.**

* * *

_**It feels like I'm falling into sun,**_

_**Even on stormy days in everyway feel like we're one.**_

_**As we watch the years go by, feels like we're still flying high.**_

_**Baby you amaze me,**_

_**You still knock me off my feet.**_

_**And who would've ever guessed it would last through it all,**_

_**The reason I believe, can't you see,**_

_**You still amaze me.**_

**-No Angels**

**Cleveland, Ohio**

The funny thing about Hellmouths is that just when you've closed one up and think it's gone another one springs up with a vengeance. And boy, did the Cleveland Hellmouth have a vengeance.

Buffy, Angel, Faith and Spike were in Hawaii when it happened. Buffy was finally feeling content for the first time in a very long time. They had just found the slayer they were looking for on the Big Island and after much begging by Buffy and Faith, decided to hang out there for a few days for a break. Buffy loved everything about Hawaii; the food, the people, the shopping, the beaches, everything. She found herself lounging on the beach all day with Faith, drinking fruity drinks and laughing a genuine laugh for the first time in what felt like forever. And her and Angel were in a really good place. They talked about their future together and decided they were in it for the long haul this time around.

Funny how when everything seems to be falling into place all hell seems to break lose.

Buffy was watching the sun set from the lanai connected to her and Angel's hotel room. They had dinner reservations in a few minutes and Buffy was enjoying the evening, killing some time as they waited for the sun to set. When she heard the phone ring inside their room, Buffy's stomach dropped. Over the years she had learned to trust her intuition and tonight was no exception. Things were going so right they were bound to go wrong. She heard Angel mutter a few words to the person on the other end of the phone before poking his head out of the door and handing the phone to Buffy, a grave look on his face.

Buffy sighed and stared at the phone, enjoying her last seconds of peace before the reality of her world came crashing down around her. She took the phone and held it to her ear. "Giles?" she asked quietly.

"Buffy," Giles responded. He sounded tense. "You need to get to Cleveland."

It turns out what little demonic creatures were left over from the Sunnydale Hellmouth closing and Angel's battle with the Circle of the Black Thorn had naturally gravitated towards the other Hellmouth in Cleveland, Ohio. When they all got there, they teamed up and were determined to open this Hellmouth using whatever forces necessary. And they succeeded. Buffy, Angel, Faith, and Spike got on a red-eye out of Hawaii, but since it was such a long flight by the time they got to Cleveland it seemed too late. The Hellmouth was open.

* * *

For the rest of Buffy's life she would always recall what happened in the hours following her flight from Hawaii to be a little fuzzy. Maybe it was the rush of adrenaline, or her survival instincts repressing the memory. Or maybe it was the Slayer taking over. All she knew was that she fought. All of them; Angel, Spike, Faith, Giles, Willow, Xander, Dawn, Andrew, Gunn, all the slayers, even Illyria. Buffy would remember fighting for hours, slayers and demons falling all around her. But she didn't stop until it was done.

The first thing Buffy registered upon waking was an annoying beeping that seemed to go along to the same rhythm as the pounding in her head. She stirred and groaned a little, confused as to why she was in a comfortable bed.

"Buffy?" came a familiar voice from somewhere to her right. She knew that voice…why was it taking so long for her to figure out who it was? She felt like her mind was molasses. The person to her right leaned forward and pressed a small button on the side of her bed.

Buffy finally opened her eyes wide enough to look at him. "Giles…" she said groggily.

He smiled at her, a relieved look on his face. "You're awake," he said.

"What happened?" Buffy asked.

Giles was about to answer but a voice cut him off. "You were very lucky, that's what happened."

A middle aged doctor walking into her room holding a clipboard with a few papers attached to it. "Explosion from a gas leak at the hotel you were staying in," the doctor told her. "Or that's what I'm told," he added, giving Giles a look. "We did some surgery to repair internal bleeding and close up a few nasty wounds. You'll be sore for a few days, but you're going to be fine."

Buffy just nodded at him. A beeper on the doctor's belt went off and he glanced down at it. "I'm sorry but I need to run. Let one of the nurses know if you need anything."

After the doctor left Buffy turned to Giles and said, "What _really _happened?"

Giles let out a tired sigh but smiled nonetheless. "We did it Buffy. The Hellmouth is closed. And this one and the one in Sunnydale were the only two on the planet."

"What does that mean…" Buffy asked.

"It means," Giles started. "Well it means that no more demons or evil forces can enter our world again. Without a Hellmouth, they have no energy source. The numbers of the ones here now will begin to decrease until they are no longer."

Buffy was silent for a moment before saying, "Oh." She felt her brain couldn't really process all this right now. "Is everyone okay? Where's Dawn? And Willow and Xander…"

"They're all right," Giles said, cutting her off. "Everyone's okay. We lost a few slayers though."

"Well where is everyone?" Buffy asked, getting impatient now.

"Xander and Willow finally felt well enough to take Dawn down to the cafeteria. We've all been here a few days recovering," Giles said.

"What about Angel and Faith and Spike," Buffy asked.

Giles sighed, looking uncomfortable. "Spike and Faith left a few hours ago. I think they were feeling cooped up."

"Where's Angel?" Buffy asked, feeling slightly panicked that she had to ask so many times.

Giles sighed and took too long to answer for Buffy's liking. "He's… here."

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in the hospital bed. "Giles I need to get out of this room. Just walk around or something."

Giles hesitated before nodding. He knew by now not to argue with her. He placed a pair of folded up sweatpants and a t-shirt that had been on the chair next to him on her bed. He then got up and left the room to give her some privacy.

After some difficulty, Buffy changed out of her hospital gown and into the pants and t-shirt. She walked slowly out of the room to find Giles waiting for her in the hallway. They were about to head towards the lobby when a nurse emerged from the room next to Buffy's and stopped Giles.

"Excuse me sir?" she called to him.

"Yes?" Giles asked. Buffy was fidgeting with the tape on her arm left over from an IV.

"You're part of the same group as Angel Gallagher, correct?" the nurse asked.

Buffy's eyes snapped to the nurse when she heard Angel's name. His real name. "Yes," Giles responded.

"I just came from his room and I thought I would let you know. The surgery went fine. We finally got his heart rate under control and he's awake-"

"What?" Buffy asked the nurse sharply when she heard the words "heart rate". She looked to Giles and then back at the nurse. After a beat she ran into the room that the nurse had just exited.

"Excuse me, miss!" the nurse called after Buffy. She went to go after her but Giles stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright," he said with a small smile. The nurse gave Giles an annoyed look before walking the other way down the hallway. Giles chuckled and walked towards the cafeteria. Maybe he would join Dawn, Willow, and Xander for a snack.

Buffy raced through the door to Angel's room as fast as her painful injuries would allow her, nearly colliding with another nurse who was exiting. She held her breath at what she saw.

The image of Angel in a hospital bed was strange enough, but what was really keeping Buffy's attention was the quiet steady beeping coming from the heart monitor next to his bed.

Buffy let out a sigh that sounded more like a gasp. She slowly approached the bed and dropped to her knees by Angel's side. She reached out with a shaky hand and laid her palm on Angel's chest, which was bare since there were so many bandages on it. Through the thin material of the bandage she could feel the steady _thump-thump _of a strong heartbeat.

Angel, who had only been resting his eyes, opened them slowly at Buffy's touch. He saw her staring in awe at her hand over his heart.

"Hey," he whispered.

Buffy looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. She felt like she couldn't speak. What does one even say in a situation like this?

"Is this a dream?" she whispered. Buffy realized how silly that sounded after she said it. The stabbing pain in her side and in every limb of her body told her that no, this was not a dream.

Angel shifted a bit and winced, clearly sharing some of Buffy's pain. "Sure doesn't feel like one," he said.

"Angel…" Buffy trailed off, hoping he would understand.

Angel smirked and said, "I know."

Buffy let out a breath of laughter as she realized all of the possibilities for her and Angel were opening up.

Angel smiled at her again and said, "Come here."

Buffy's tears were threating to fall as she placed her hand gently on his cheek before pressing her forehead against his. She gave him a gentle kiss. He managed to shift to the side of the narrow hospital bed and Buffy took the invitation. She slowly laid next to Angel, being careful not to aggravate any of their injuries.

As Buffy laid next to Angel, letting his new heartbeat fill her senses, she thought about what was possible for them. Things that other couples took for granted like going to the movies on Saturday night, or going out to Sunday brunch, or take a cooking class together. Buffy began to lose track of everything she wanted to do with Angel.

As she lay in the hospital, one of her most hated places, Buffy fell into the most peaceful sleep that she had ever had in nearly a decade.


End file.
